Meet Justine Harris, the agent voted one of the best renovators in Australia

Want to make Justine Harris happy? Put a sledgehammer in her hands and tell her to knock down a wall. Voted one of the top four female renovators in Australia, when she’s not slipping into a pair of overalls and jazzing up apartments, she’s selling luxury real estate around Toorak. In her previous life, Justine was a state netball champion. She lives in a trendy warehouse apartment in Richmond with a dog named Vegas.

What was your first job?

Justine Harris in Toorak, where she works with RT Edgar. Photo: Daniel Pockett

It was in my mum’s little general store in Rye, on the Mornington Peninsula where I grew up. I used to go there and help after school, because I loved pushing the buttons on the cash register and eating the lollies.

Did you play any sports?

I was always an active, sporty person. I played state netball. Mum would drive me to the city from Rye three times a week for training. She’s a great mother.

How did you get into real estate?

I posted off at least 40 resumes, and finally got a job with Bill Karp in Essendon. Back then, not many females were in sales and it was sink or swim. I was out at ridiculous hours doing letter drops to get my name out there.

People are a lot more responsive to females in the industry these days. Going back 17 years, I recall males coming into the agency and, instead of asking me questions about the property, they would say, ‘Where’s the man in charge?’ I’d say, ‘I’m actually the listing agent’, and they’d reply, ‘Can we speak to him instead?’

What do you consider your greatest achievement (outside of property)?

In my spare time, I buy and renovate one and two-bedroom apartments. Marie Claire voted me one of the top four female renovators in Australia and I was featured in an eight-page spread in their magazine. I do most of the work myself; the painting, the re-tiling. I book in the auction date of when I’m going to be selling it, before I even start the works. That gives me a timeline I must stick to.

Do you have any renovation secrets?

Always buy well. I’m in real estate, so I know when something is a bargain. Also, I only buy in smaller blocks close to the city, so there’s always a high demand. Most of mine have been in Richmond where I live. I try and get a really long settlement date. If I can get 120 days to settle, then the apartment has already gone up in price before I even have to pay for it. Another secret is to do as much of the work as you can yourself, to save money paying tradespeople. Plus, if the kitchen carcases are fine, they might only need new doors. I spend anywhere between $10,000 to $20,000 on each reno.

How do you do all this and hold down a full-time job?

I only give myself two weeks to do it. I go home, have dinner after a long day at work, and get stuck into it. I’m in bed by 2am. You get through it because you know the end result.

What has been your biggest renovation success?

A one-bedroom flat in Richmond that I lived in for 12 months to avoid capital gains tax. I paid $167,000, spent $16,000 on the renovation, and sold it for $345,000. I’ve done around 10 properties over the years.

If you weren’t in real estate, what job would you be doing?

I would be a zoologist. I love animals.

Do you like where you live in Richmond?

I love it. I live in a three-level converted warehouse. I get plenty of exercise climbing up and down those three levels. Richmond is very diverse; at one end of my street I have Victoria Street which is known for its excellent Vietnamese restaurants.